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Inscryption – A game’s mechanics don’t have to be novel in order to be worth playing or developing around
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Luigi’s Mansion 3 – Puzzles should have feedback to guide the player. Meandering and luck are not satisfying game mechanics.
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Doki Doki Literature Club – Video games can still be meta, even after Undertale. If the game’s conceit is unique, being meta isn’t necessarily a death sentence.
Category: Podcasts
A single feed containing Caleb J. Ross podcasts including Important Question, The Velvet Podcast, and The World’s First Author Podcast as well as a collection of live readings by Caleb J. Ross and his writing contemporaries.
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Why We Do the Games We Do
The game-making lessons we mentioned are: -

Have you ever had a Jill Sandwich?
In episode 1 of the Tales of the Lesser Medium video game podcast, where we discuss Resident Evil 1 and with it, Barry’s unintentionally funny “Jill Sandwich” quip. Travis suggested that a Jill Sandwich is nothing more an inch thick layer of horseradish between two stale cookies from Subway. So Caleb decides to try one.
The first season of Tales of the Lesser Medium explores the Resident Evil series, games, 1, 2, 3, and 0.
Subscribe via your favorite podcast-ery
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
- Stitcher
- Or use the good ol’ fashioned direct RSS feed
Follow @TalesLesser on Twitter if subscribing to the podcast is too much of a commitment for you.
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Video game stories + comedy skits = Tales of the Lesser Medium Podcast
The New Tales of the Lesser Medium Podcast Launches May 26th, 2020! Set a calendar reminder now!
We (you and me) love video games. But we (you and me and your mom) know they aren’t always concerned with conveying a serious story. Wouldn’t it be fun to poke holes in these stories? That’s where Tales of the Lesser Medium Podcast comes in.
Each season, Travis (from Polykill, NES Friend, and DrinkFriend) along with Caleb (from his Youtube video game channel, books, and this website you are currently reading) deliver laughs alongside the narratives that hold together (barely) your favorite video game franchises.
Season one features Resident Evil 1, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 0. Each of the 4 episodes of season one walk the narrative path laid in each game with plenty of semi-improve pee breaks along the way.
Subscribe via your favorite podcast-ery
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Google Podcasts
- Stitcher
- Or use the good ol’ fashioned direct RSS feed
Follow @TalesLesser on Twitter if subscribing to the podcast is too much of a commitment for you.
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The Runniest Sideways Banana You Ever Saw! The Video Game Game Show
[powerpress]I like trivia…well, correction, I like knowing answers to trivia questions. Anyone who likes trivia but hates knowing the answers is a straight-up idiot. But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about a cool think that I thought would be cool and in fact turned out to be cool. I asked Trav over at the Polykill Podcast and @TravPlaysGames to join me in a podcast pilot episode of sorts. It’s a podcast about trivia (see, that who intro about trivia does make sense).
The premise is simple: it’s a triva game show about video games mixed with a bit of improve goodness.
If you enjoy it and would like more, validate us! Let us know at:
- Me (Caleb) @calebjross
- Trav (Trav) @TravPlaysGames
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A Video Game History of Chicago, Recorded LIVE! – Masters of Unlocking Podcast Episode 026

[powerpress] Subscribe to Masters of Unlocking: A Video Game Podcast by clicking over to the official websiteLIVE from Chicago, it’s Masters of Unlocking’s first anniversary episode! This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the first-annual Cartridge Club Con (C3) in Chicago, Illinois. We delve into Chicago’s rich history in gaming, including developers based here, games set here, and historic gaming events that occurred here.

Show Notes
- Epic Set List:
- Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts
- Octopath Traveler (Nintendo Switch)
- Steamworld Dig 2 (Nintendo Switch)
- Sunset Riders (SNES)
- Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES)
- Looney Tunes Basketball (SNES)
- Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts
- Pickups:
- We discuss our recent gaming-related pickups and scores – what did we pickup on our trip to C3?
- Main Event:
- Caleb & Scott celebrate their trip to the first annual Cartridge Club Con by diving into video gaming’s history in Chicago.
- Games Set in Chicago
- Sports, mobsters, airports, light gun shooters, train simulators, arcade games, action games, and more…
- CES in Chicago (1972 – 1994)
- Game Developers in Chicago
- Midway arcade games and the legacy the developer left on the Chicago dev scene
- Games Set in Chicago
- Caleb & Scott celebrate their trip to the first annual Cartridge Club Con by diving into video gaming’s history in Chicago.
- Epic Set List:
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Microtransactions, Sex Disorder, & Gaming Corpses – Masters of Unlocking Podcast Episode 025

[powerpress] Subscribe to Masters of Unlocking: A Video Game Podcast by clicking over to the official websiteWe dive into a slew of gaming stories – Microtransactions, Google’s rumored console, gaming corpses, Nathan Fillion, ESPN & Overwatch , controller mods, Neo-Nazi scum, sex disorder, Fallout: New California, and more! Plus we preview the Cartridge Club’s upcoming Chicago meetup!
Show Notes
- Epic Set List:
- Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts
- Pillars of Eternity
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- A Profound Waste of Time (magazine)
- Discussion of what games we’ve been playing recently & our spoiler-free thoughts
- Pickups:
- We discuss our recent gaming-related pickups and scores
- What’s News:
- Why should we care about a Google video game console?
- Family of slain teen has viewing with him propped up playing video games, surrounded by his favorite things
- Even more indie games are coming to Nintendo Switch
- Nathan Fillion finally plays Nathan Drake… is it any good?
- ESPN/Disney ink exclusive broadcast deal with Blizzard for Overwatch League
- Neo-Nazis using online games as recruiting playgrounds… in case the internet didn’t already suck enough
- First video games, now Sex… is there anything fun the WHO thinks is good for you?
- We learn which member of the iconic 1990’s trio TLC “Hey Past Caleb…” had the hots for
- Score 1 for Anti Microtransactions – Middle-earth: Shadow of War is now microtransaction-free!
- 8bitdo releases kits to mod your classic OEM Nintendo, SNES, and Genesis controllers with wireless bluetooth
- Fallout: New California fan mod receives thumbs up from Bethesda
- Guerrilla Games is growing
- Main Event:
- Caleb & Scott are headed to Chicago for a Cartridge Club meetup (July 27 – 29)! If you’re in the Chicago area, we’d love to say hi! Drop us a line.
- Epic Set List:
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Could Toys R Us Return From the Grave? – Masters of Unlocking Podcast Episode 024

[powerpress] Subscribe to Masters of Unlocking: A Video Game Podcast by clicking over to the official websiteBy now everyone knows that Toys R Us is officially dead… but could it be rising from the dead with zombie-like ferocity? We discuss the juicy rumors of TRU’s potential return, the WHO’s creation of Gaming Disorder, a new Nielsen report on the gaming industry, and more! (more…)
